Employee Spotlight – Tabatha Johnson

Netrush had fewer than ten employees in 2011 when Tabatha Johnson, current Director of Partner Development, started. Back then, the company operated out of a small office, about two miles down the road from our current location in Vancouver, Washington.

Tabatha’s evolving role at Netrush mirrors the larger transformations, both internal and public, that have taken place in recent years, as well as one of Netrush’s four core values, Embrace Possibilities. She’s been here through the most exciting years of change and growth, and has been instrumental in making the company’s message known — a role that actually comes quite naturally for California’s 2007 All-American Cheerleading Champion.

What was your role at Netrush when you first started?

I started as an Associate Buyer about six years ago and worked right alongside Brian, managing our partnerships with natural physician line brands. I did all the product setup, buying, invoice auditing, shipment setup, and price management. Basically, I touched every single part of each separate department we have now.

The marketplace was a lot different back then, with most brands avoiding the platform altogether. Amazon was a new animal back then, and because brands weren’t being proactive, there was a lot less order than we see today, and naturally, a lot more chaos from sellers.

Tabatha with Shawn Fenton, Brand Manager, visiting MegaFood

When did things start to really change?

The big turning point for Netrush came at a time where Amazon, brands, and sellers were rethinking how they fit together. While a lot of brands at the time felt that Amazon was a lose-lose situation, we were partnering with brands who wanted to tackle their problems head-on. We learned a lot during this period, and built a foundation for the success we’re seeing today.

How have the brands we work with changed since you started at Netrush?

We’re partnering with premium brands that understand what has to be done on Amazon to deliver best-in-class experiences for customers. Our partners know that Amazon evolves quickly and constantly, and that we all need to be on the front lines of finding new ways to deliver exceptional service — not just to keep up but to lead.

Can you tell us a little about your personal life? What prepared you for your role at Netrush?

My dad is my role model and his mantra was that you can do anything you set your mind to. In my younger dayshe would remind me of this when I would be upset about school or cheerleading. I wasn’t the best starting out in cheer, but eventually progressed to be the state of California’s #1 top All-American Cheerleader in 2007. I competed by myself against thousands of other cheerleaders and won. Having that level of determination and commitment early on prepared me for my role at Netrush.

What is one personal quality or belief that you’ve been able to apply or bring to work at Netrush?

You can accomplish whatever you put your mind to. I’m in a position where people say “no” to me all the time. And in the early years, when we were establishing our model, it was exhausting to constantly be told, “No, you guys aren’t going to make it — nobody’s going to commit to that.” But then, we started seeing extraordinary results with our first partners. All of a sudden the paradigm shifted. I’d walk into a trade show with people asking how we did it, and how can we make them look like our partners.

What’s your favorite brand that you work with?

Why does everybody ask me this? I have no favorites. Every brand is unique and I love them for who they are. I genuinely feel this way.